“Going on, I was really, really nervous,” mentioned Phair, who has an American father and a South Korean mom and was once raised within the United States.
“It was a scary moment, but then going on and running around, I think it just settled in.”
The file was once prior to now held through the past due Ifeanyi Chiejinewho was once 16 years and 34 days outdated when she performed for Nigeria within the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
In the 17 mins she spent at the box in South Korea’s 2-0 loss, Phair was once close to the ball all the time, competing with Colombian avid gamers for ownership each and every likelihood she were given.
“She deserved the chance to play,” mentioned South Korea’s head trainer Collin Bell. “She trained really well, just as well as anybody. I wanted to throw her on to give her that experience.”
Phair’s subsequent likelihood to play comes Sunday, when the Taegeuk Ladies tackle Morocco in Adelaide, Australia.
Born on June 29, 2007, in South Korea, Phair could also be the primary multi-ethnic participant, feminine or male, to play for a South Korean senior nationwide workforce.
“I’m really proud and really honored to be the first mixed player for the Korean Federation,” Phair mentioned. “I really appreciate the opportunity I was given today.”
Phair isn’t the one younger big name on this 12 months’s Women’s World Cup. Two different 16-year-old avid gamers are on squads for the event, despite the fact that each have been born in 2008. Giulia Dragoni began for Italy, dressed in the No. 16, in its 1–0 win over Argentina on Monday, and Sheika Scott subbed in for Costa Rica in its 3–0 loss towards Spain on Friday.
Four different Women’s World Cup avid gamers are 17, and there is 39 youngsters a few of the 32 groups.
One is Colombia’s 18-year-old Linda Caicedo, who scored her first World Cup target within the thirty ninth minute Tuesday in her event debut, incomes her participant of the fit honors. She is the youngest goal-scorer on the event in Australia and New Zealand to this point.
The crowd was once noticeably pro-Colombia, which Phair needed to handle as she created her piece of historical past.
“Warming up I think it was very loud,” Phair mentioned. “I really enjoyed that being my first time playing and I’m hoping to get used to it.”